Picks and Ponderings: 2018 Withers Stakes Preview

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After visits to Gulfstream (for the Holy Bull and the Forward Gal) and Santa Anita (for the Robert B. Lewis), Picks and Ponderings heads to New York for a look at the Withers Stakes, Aqueduct’s Derby prep for the weekend. Though the race only drew six horses to vie for shares of a $250,000 purse and Kentucky Derby points (10-4-2-1), the race drew a strong mix of proven runners and sophomores looking for their breakthroughs.

A New York fixture, the Withers Stakes has been run in since 1874 in honour of David D. Withers (1821-92), an early personage in American horse racing. An original investor in Monmouth Park, he was also the first president of the Board of Control, a forerunner to the Jockey Club. Inaugurated at Jerome Park, the race has also been run at Morris Park Racecourse, Jamaica Racetrack, Belmont Park, and most recently Aqueduct.